The invention relates generally to welding systems, and, more particularly, to a voltage sensing wire feeder with weld procedure memories.
Welding is a process that has become increasingly prevalent in various industries and applications. Such processes may be automated in certain contexts, although a large number of applications continue to exist for manual welding applications. In both cases, such welding applications rely on a variety of types of equipment to ensure that the supply of welding consumables (e.g., wire, shielding gas, etc.) is provided to the weld in an appropriate amount at the desired time. For example, metal inert gas (MIG) welding typically relies on a wire feeder to enable a welding wire to reach a welding torch. The wire is continuously fed during welding to provide filler metal. A power source ensures that arc heating is available to melt the filler metal and the underlying base metal.
Voltage sensing wire feeders are a type of wire feeder powered using welding power provided from a welding power source, thereby obviating the use of a separate cable to power the voltage sensing wire feeder. Thus, the number of cables extending between the voltage sensing wire feeder and the welding power supply may be less than systems that use a wire feeder that is not a voltage sensing wire feeder. In a system having a wire feeder that is not voltage sensing, the cable powering the wire feeder may include multiple isolated conductive lines to carry data between the wire feeder and the welding power supply. Furthermore, a non-voltage sensing wire feeder (e.g., constant speed wire feeder) may include processes and/or features that operate based on communication between the wire feeder and the welding power supply. Accordingly, while voltage sensing wire feeders obviate the use of a separate cable between the voltage sensing wire feeder and the welding power supply, voltage sensing wire feeders may typically be unable to communicate with the welding power supply.